Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arraisonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb arraisonner

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The English translation of the French verb arraisonner is “to question/interrogate/accost.” It is pronounced “a-ray-zo-nay.”

The word arraisonner comes from the Old French word raisoner, which means “to talk.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express doubt, possibility, or uncertainty.

Examples of arraisonner in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je l’arraisonasse pour en savoir plus sur son implication dans l’affaire. (I had to question him to find out more about his involvement in the case.)

  2. Je doutais qu’elle ait arraisonner le suspect correctement. (I doubted that she had properly interrogated the suspect.)

  3. Le policier a insisté pour que je l’arraisonne sur ce qu’il savait au sujet du vol. (The police officer insisted that I interrogate him about what he knew about the theft.)

Table of the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of arraisonner

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je arraisonasse Si j’étais policier, je arraisonasse les suspects. If I were a police officer, I would question the suspects.
tu arraisonasses Si tu avais plus de preuves, tu arraisonasses mieux les coupables. If you had more evidence, you would question the guilty ones better.
il arraisonât Il serait plus efficace s’il arraisonât les témoins. He would be more effective if he questioned the witnesses.
elle arraisonât Elle serait plus juste si elle arraisonât tous les suspects. She would be fairer if she questioned all the suspects.
on arraisonât Si on arraisonât les témoins séparément, on pourrait trouver la vérité. If one questioned the witnesses separately, one could find the truth.
nous arraisonassions Si nous arraisonassions ensemble, nous pourrions résoudre l’affaire. If we questioned together, we could solve the case.
vous arraisonassiez Si vous arraisonassiez moins sévèrement, vous auriez plus d’informations. If you questioned less harshly, you would have more information.
ils arraisonassent S’ils arraisonassent plus de suspects, ils trouveraient le coupable. If they questioned more suspects, they would find the culprit.
elles arraisonassent Si elles arraisonassent les témoins un par un, elles auraient plus de détails. If they questioned the witnesses one by one, they would have more details.

Other Conjugations for Arraisonner.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb arraisonner
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arraisonner
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arraisonner
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arraisonner
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arraisonner
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arraisonner
   

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arraisonner
   

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arraisonner

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arraisonner

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arraisonner

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arraisonner
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arraisonner (this article)

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arraisonner
   

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arraisonner
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arraisonner

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arraisonner

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arraisonner

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Arraisonner – About the French Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense

The French Subjonctif Imparfait, also known as the imperfect subjunctive, is a verb tense used to express actions, states, or conditions that are uncertain, subjective, or hypothetical in the past. It is used in a variety of situations, including wishes, doubts, emotions, and polite requests, and often occurs in dependent clauses following certain expressions and conjunctions.

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

To form the Subjonctif Imparfait, you typically start with the third person plural (ils/elles) form of the verb in the imparfait (imperfect) tense. Then, you remove the -ent ending and add the appropriate endings:

– For regular -er verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.
– For regular -ir and -re verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

1. Expressing Doubt or Uncertainty: The Subjonctif Imparfait is used to express doubt or uncertainty about something that happened in the past.

Example: Il doutait qu’elle vînt à la fête. (He doubted that she came to the party.)

2. Wishes and Desires: It is used to express wishes or desires in the past.

Example: J’aurais aimé que tu fusses là. (I would have liked you to be there.)

3. Hypothetical Scenarios: The Subjonctif Imparfait is employed in hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: Si j’eusse su, j’aurais agi différemment. (If I had known, I would have acted differently.)
4. Polite Requests and Suggestions: It is used to make polite requests and suggestions in a formal or polite tone.

Example: Il souhaitait que vous vinssiez lui rendre visite. (He wished that you would come to visit him.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Subjonctif Présent

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used in dependent clauses with the Subjonctif Présent in the main clause, especially in complex sentences.

Example: Il faut que tu manges bien pour que tu aies de l’énergie. (You need to eat well so that you have energy.)

Indicatif Passé Composé

The Subjonctif Imparfait can be used alongside the Indicatif Passé Composé to indicate a contrast between a factual event and a hypothetical one.

Example: Il est parti avant que tu ne fusses arrivé. (He left before you arrived.)

Conditional

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used with the Conditional to express unreal or hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: J’aurais pu le faire si j’eusse eu plus de temps. (I could have done it if I had had more time.)

Conditional Perfect

It can also be used with the Conditional Perfect to express unreal or hypothetical past events that would have occurred before other past events.

Example: J’aurais su s’il eût partagé l’information. (I would have known if he had shared the information.)

Summary

The Subjonctif Imparfait is a relatively complex tense, and its usage depends on the context and the verbs involved. It is essential to practice and become familiar with common expressions and contexts where this tense is appropriate to use it effectively in everyday French communication.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb arraisonner. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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